What Color is Your Life Jacket? (Moundsville, New Martinsville: home, jobs, high school)

[George Kiddlehopper]

New Martinsville is really a great place to raise kids and be young in, + retire in. There are no jobs in New Martinsville "proper" to make a living but there are many small jobs or "dead-end" jobs.
But the beauty of the Ohio River, Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter is all
pervasive. I grew up in New Martinsville, WV. I was enthralled by the 4 seasons and the lovely Ohio River. I could also ride my bike, swim, take hikes, and be with my town gang without fear of kiknapping or whatever.
The people then were so kind, so helpful and so beautiful.
I graduated from the old Magnolia High School building. I had to leave because I had no future as a young 19 year old. How I wish I could've stayed and had a very decent job. Anyone out there from New Martinsville, WV?

[snorpus]

Hi George,

Not from NM, but pretty close. I grew up in Pine Grove, Valley High grad.

Snorpus

[Emerald Chickpea]

Originally Posted by George Kiddlehopper

I graduated from the old Magnolia High School building. I had to leave because I had no future as a young 19 year old. How I wish I could've stayed and had a very decent job. Anyone out there from New Martinsville, WV?

10 miles south, in Sistersville. I left at 18 myself, and many years later I'm back, in Moundsville -- to be near family, and to be "home".

Things haven't changed much, George. What good jobs there were are now going away or gone, what with the multi-year Ormet strike and the way the mines have gone down. And the new development that may be happening (a gypsum board manufacturing facility near the Mitchell/Kammer power plant, to cite an example) is not necessarily the $20+ per hour stuff that used to be available.

However, it's still a nice place to retire to, or to "scale back to" if you've worn yourself to death in an urban ratrace setting.